Arizona's Vividly Colored River Gorge Is Like A Mini Grand Canyon With Serene Camping

Just south of the border of Utah and east of Nevada is a stunning gorge known as the "mini Grand Canyon," where you can camp peacefully under the stars or hike down to one of the Southwest's most emblematic rivers. The Virgin River Canyon is just 25 minutes from St. George, Southern Utah's largest city, and a visit to this stunningly colored canyon — with sandstone layers of reds, yellows, and oranges that seem to change color as the sun hits them from different angles throughout the day — will allow you to enjoy a variety of recreational activities or just a stellar view if that's more your speed.

The canyon's campsite — the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area — offers access to hiking trails and the Virgin River itself, whose waters have been carving their way through Utah, Arizona, and Nevada for 13 million years to shape iconic landscapes like Zion National Park and this canyon. From this scenic camping spot, you can explore the two surrounding wilderness areas — the Paiute Wilderness and Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness, where you can hike trails like the Cedar Pocket Narrows, a short but steep path into a gorgeous slot canyon. You can also float the river if the conditions are right.

So, if you're struggling to find solitude at the Grand Canyon, head to the Virgin River Canyon instead, whose sandstone and limestone cliffs eroded by the Virgin River offer a similar landscape, just at a smaller scale. After all, this gorge connects the Colorado Plateau with the Mojave Desert, so you can experience the best of the best of the Southwest within its colorful canyon walls.

There are two areas where you can camp in the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area: the upper and lower loops. Currently, the fee to camp overnight is $8 per night, while it's $2 per vehicle for a day pass. A handful of the best spots are available to be reserved online, while the rest are first-come, first-served. You'll need to download the Recreation.gov app beforehand if you don't reserve a site, since you'll have to use it to pay for your pass once you get there.

There are spots both for tents and RVs, and those looking for a longer-term stay can head to the Upper Loop, since the Lower Loop has a one-night limit. Besides that, the Upper Loop is the quieter option, since it's farther from the I-15 that cuts through the canyon near the campsite. Some people have noted there's a little bit of noise from the freeway, so perhaps you'll want to bring earplugs just in case. Whether there's some noise or not, what is certain is that you'll be able to sleep in a stunning setting that one TripAdvisor user calls a "hidden gem," noting how "the Virgin River Gorge will both reawaken your soul and open your eyes oh-so-wide."

Due to its remote location in the northwest corner of Arizona, which is only accessible via the I-15, the Virgin River Canyon is most easily reached from Nevada or Utah. It's just 1.5 hours from Las Vegas and just under an hour from Zion National Park, making it a great place to stop if you're heading from Sin City to the Narrows, Zion's iconic river canyon trail.